DIY: Hydraulic hood support replacement

[islandboy57]

So the last time I was under the hood of the gen 3.5, it almost fell on me.. I bought replacement hood supports from the dealer this weekend @ $66 each after a 30% off discount. Yes, they're expensive but the originals lasted 15 years so if these are the same, they'll outlast the car anyway. I just thought I'd put together a DIY.


The new hood supports


Part numbers


New bolts/connecting pieces
Note: The part connected to the hood (the piece shown here with the ball shaped head) just would not come off - I started stripping the bolt. So I ripped off the old hood support and stuck the new one on, reusing that ball shaped connector thing. Works just fine


Old one (left)


You'll probably want an assistant (my gf's lovely hand pictured here) or a carefully placed stick or something to hold the hood up.


12mm socket to remove the part attached to the car


This part was tricky, the left hood support is hooked into a wiring harness and let me tell you.. After 15 years of being like that, it wasn't easy to get out, but it only took a few minutes of wrangling it out and it was fine.


New hood support (right side)


New hood support (left side)


Both new hood supports


Old useless hood supports


All in all, an easy DIY but for myself, I really like being able to see it (in pictures) beforehand in whatever I do just so I know what to expect. I kinda just bought these new ones and hoped I would be able to swap them in without too much trouble. Don't mind the picture quality in some of the shots, I didn't want to fumble with my dSLR so I used my BlackBerry

[Kiwi-Corolla]

Nice write-up. Sure as heck beats getting a concussion from a falling hood . I'll add the link to this thread to the DIY sticky at the top of this forum

[jordan7831]

That’s so weird; I did my hood struts yesterday!

Just a few side notes:

You CAN reuse the old bolts with the ball shaped head. You will first have to remove the bolt connected to the hood, and the bolt connected to the frame of the car. After that, you can use a dermal with a cut off wheel and cut the strut where the ball attaches. You will find there is a small ring that prevents the strut from simply falling off. With a screw driver you can pry that out and the strut will become free from the bolt.

Another thing to consider is the PASSENGER side strut is inaccessible using a ratchet; this is due to the wiper motor. The strut also has a flange that prevents regular wrenches from getting enough contact. You will need a 12 mm combination wrench to get at it.

Lastly, it is easier to disconnect the wiring harness first, prior to removing the driver side strut. Make sure the wiring harness is secured to the new strut when you are finished. I used some wire and tied it off to the new strut.

Hope this helps

[csaxon]

Nice job islandboy57!

[LittleWhiteBubble]

You don't really need to remove the bolt with the ball end on it in the hood, or cut the strut to remove it. If you take that metal C-shaped retention clip off by prying it with a flat head screwdriver the strut will come right off the hood.

[jordan7831]

Thats assuming you have the metal C clip, mine did not.

[LittleWhiteBubble]

Hm I'd never seen one without the clip, I didn't know they had sealed ones

[jordan7831]

Yep, 93 V6 3VZ had sealed hood struts. If you car has sealed ones, easyist way to change them is just buy new bolts with the ball on them.

[islandboy57]

Originally Posted by Kiwi-Corolla

Nice write-up. Sure as heck beats getting a concussion from a falling hood . I'll add the link to this thread to the DIY sticky at the top of this forum

Thanks! And yes, I think an ER visit and missed work would cost much more than replacements!

Originally Posted by jordan7831

That’s so weird; I did my hood struts yesterday!

Just a few side notes:

You CAN reuse the old bolts with the ball shaped head. You will first have to remove the bolt connected to the hood, and the bolt connected to the frame of the car. After that, you can use a dermal with a cut off wheel and cut the strut where the ball attaches. You will find there is a small ring that prevents the strut from simply falling off. With a screw driver you can pry that out and the strut will become free from the bolt.

Another thing to consider is the PASSENGER side strut is inaccessible using a ratchet; this is due to the wiper motor. The strut also has a flange that prevents regular wrenches from getting enough contact. You will need a 12 mm combination wrench to get at it.

Lastly, it is easier to disconnect the wiring harness first, prior to removing the driver side strut. Make sure the wiring harness is secured to the new strut when you are finished. I used some wire and tied it off to the new strut.

Hope this helps

Wow, we did it on the same day! As far as the ball-shaped head bolt thing (man that's a mouthful) I just took the old strut off of it, and snapped the new one into it. Is ours setup differently? My gen 3.5 is built in Japan if that matters.

I was able to use a small 12mm socket wrench just fine on the passenger side. It was a little hard getting leverage though.

I found that it was easier to remove the wiring harness after I had removed the driver's side strut. I pried the little tab thing up (which secures it to the strut) with a screw driver and wiggled it apart. I couldn't get it off when it was still connected to the old strut. YMMV here I guess, you just gotta do whatever works

[gt1209]

I'm just about to do this task shortly to my 95 Avalon, thanks for the info in advance!

[jmjnet]

Originally Posted by jordan7831

You CAN reuse the old bolts with the ball shaped head. You will first have to remove the bolt connected to the hood, and the bolt connected to the frame of the car. After that, you can use a dermal with a cut off wheel and cut the strut where the ball attaches. You will find there is a small ring that prevents the strut from simply falling off. With a screw driver you can pry that out and the strut will become free from the bolt.

I did it on my 2000 Camry. I followed the above awesome direction. Cut the ball joint on the existing Tokico/Toyota Support till I can fish out the small ring to get the whole ball joint out.

Once it is out, I put it on the new aftermarket lift support. I got the Strong Arm 4326 from Ebay. It fits very good.

I would like to use the original Toyota OE but for around $70 a piece, it is rather expensive. The aftermarket units was under $50 for the pair.

The 2000 Camry does not have any other obstacles to go through like electrical connectors, etc.